No girl should ever look like this, said Emily, aged 6, softly as she stood looking in the mirror. Then, turning and squaring off with me, she set her hands firmly on her hips and defiantly said, And I’m never going to look like this again.

I was recently asked to guest lecture at the National University on the topic of drug traffickers and runners. The traffickers are the differently-sized gears that make up a drug cartel’s machinery. Together they destroy millions of lives each year.

The runners are the mules and the strays; the drivers and kids who deliver drugs or pick-up money that is owed. Runners exist in almost every city in every country in the world. Oftentimes they do their work while walking to or from class.

When Emily’s father, Walter, was in his mid-teens, he was forced to become a mule. By all accounts, before then he was a good, church-going teenage village boy. He married his girlfriend when they were just 15; little Emily came almost immediately thereafter. He was a kind husband and a good dad.

Walter earned his living driving a taxi in the nearby town of Chimaltenango. On one run three years ago, a passenger left a bundled package on the backseat of Walter’s taxicab. Walter spotted it, turned around, and drove back to where he had dropped-off his passenger. The passenger was still there and obviously quite pleased; he gave Walter more money than Walter had earned during all of the previous month.

That’s one way the cartel makes new mules, a friend later explained. If Walter hadn’t noticed the bundle or hadn’t returned it to his passenger within a few hours, Walter was told, he would have been killed that same night.

The next day Walter was reminded of the payment he had received ‘for making his first delivery’. He didn’t understand at first because he hadn’t realized he had made a delivery, but after it was explained to him that he now worked for a cartel and couldn’t quit driving for them unless they said he could, he understood. Walter had just turned 17.

For the next three years Walter drove passengers when hailed, and delivered wrapped packages when told. Through it all he saved every penny, planning to one day take his wife and daughter, Emily, and run away.

Either the national police or a rival gang got to Walter first. He didn’t come home one night or the following day. Two days later his kidnapped and tortured body was found at the bottom of a local ravine.

After that, Lidia, his wife, fell into a deep depression which, within months, developed into kidney, thyroid and weight problems. Emily, their daughter, felt so bad at losing her dad and being unable to help her mom, that she repeatedly hit her arms, legs and face with pieces of wood.

A family judge sent Lidia and Emily to the Project. A neighbor noticed Emily’s bruises and cuts and called the police, thinking the tiny girl was being abused. The judge listened to their story, immediately understood, and sent the suffering mother and daughter to us in his personal car.

When children and women as ill as Lidia and Emily arrive at the Project, our first thought is ‘Survival’. We rushed Lidia to a nearby hospital where they treated the excess of toxic body fluids that threatened to give her a stroke.

We then placed Emily with a temporary foster family. We also had her meet daily with Lucia Sican, our in-house psychologist, who coaxed out her fears that it was her fault her dad disappeared and her mother had become sick.

Next, we enrolled Emily at the Project’s Dreamer Center School so we could build a routine for her and give her new friends.

On her first day of classes, I walked in to give Emily encouragement. I surprised her standing there, looking in a mirror at her now-healing bruises and cuts on her arms and face.

No girl should ever look like this, Emily said without even looking up. We have to go now, Emily, I told her quietly. It’s time for school.

With an energy that surprised me, she spun around, set her hands onto her hips and defiantly said, No girl should ever look this way and I’m never going to look like this again.

She then picked up her backpack and marched out the door. As she passed me, I heard her harrumph. That made me laugh so hard that tears came to my eyes; also, I knew she was going to make it.

Thousands of children come to The GOD’S CHILD Project because they want to survive. They want to eat, and they’d like to go to school. Please join us in the battle to save their lives.

Your love, prayers and financial support for the children help them to put their lives back together.

Please do what you can to help. We really need your support right now.

p.s. On any given day, 13,700 children and young women walk through a GOD’S CHILD Project door somewhere in the world. They are hungry and looking for food. They are homeless and looking for shelter. They are bleeding or sick and looking for care. Please help us to help the children today.

]]>http://www.godschild.org/april-2015-newsletter/feed/0Volunteer Resourceshttp://www.godschild.org/volunteer-resources/
http://www.godschild.org/volunteer-resources/#commentsWed, 11 Mar 2015 16:44:41 +0000http://www.godschild.org/?p=2163
Thank you for your interest in volunteering with The GOD'S CHILD Project. We would be delighted for you to join us in any of our locations. to help assist you in the process, we have included helpful resources below that will guide you in your journey. Please let us know if you have any questions or find anything that you would believe to be beneficial to share with other volunteers such as yourself.

Volunteer Engagement Survey

Step 1 of 9 - Thank You

11%

Thank you!

Thank you so much for being such an important part of our work with the poor we serve over the last few days. Your efforts, compassion, and enthusiasm have meant a tremendous amount to all you have come into contact with. We cannot thank you enough.
To assist us in improving our Volunteer Programs for future volunteers, we would greatly appreciate your feedback, comments, and suggestions about the Volunteer Program you've just shared. Please answer the following questions in detail to help us improve our programs for others like you!

Name*

FirstLast

Email*

What was your role on this trip?*

What ServiceTeam did you volunteer with? (Team Name)*

Who was your ServiceTeam Leader?*

Guatemala Staff Member

ServiceTeam Preparation

Did you feel that The GOD'S CHILD Project provided you with adequate materials and assistance to help you properly prepare for your ServiceTeam Experience? What else might have been helpful?*

Poor

Fair

Good

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Excellent

What else might have been helpful?

Assistance with your Arrival in Guatemala

Did you receive adequate assistance from The GOD'S CHILD Project when arriving at the airport in Guatemala?*

Poor

Fair

Good

Very Good

Excellent

N/A

Could we better facilitate your arrival in any way?

How would you rate your experience with your orientation and tour of The Dreamer Center? *

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How would you rate your experience with your orientation and tour of Casa Jackson for Malnourished Infants?*

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How would you rate your tour of the local villages?*

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N/A

Do you have any thoughts or suggestions about your tours or orientations?

How would you rate your experience volunteering at the Dreamer Center?

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N/A

How would you rate your experience volunteering at Casa Jackson?

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How would you rate your experience volunteering at Santa Madre Homeless Shelter?

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N/A

How would you rate your experience volunteering at the Scheel Center?

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N/A

How would you rate your experience during the Home Build?

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N/A

How would you rate your experience during the Vegetable Distribution?

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N/A

How would you rate your experience during the Clothing Distribution?

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N/A

Do you have any thoughts or suggestions about your volunteering experience?

How would you rate your experience at Finca Filadelfia?

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N/A

Zip-lining, restaurant

How would you rate your weekend excursion to Panajachel on Lake Atilan?

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N/A

How would you rate your visit the the Mayan Ruins on the way to Panajachel?

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How would you rate your weekend excursion to Tikal?

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How would you rate your weekend excursion to Monterrico?

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How would you rate your weekend excursion to Rio Dulce?

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How would you rate your visit to the markets at Chichicastenango?

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N/A

When reviewing your weekend excursions, what would your comments or suggestions be on your experience?

Who was your host family?*

If you did not stay with a GCP coordinated host family, type N/A.

Were you satisfied with you host family stay?*

Yes

Somewhat

No

Would there have been anything that we could have done to improve your host family experience? Or was there anything special to note of your host family?

Were you satisfied with how your documents/valuables were stored?*

Yes

Somewhat

No

Were you satisfied with how your money was exchanged?*

Yes

Somewhat

No

Did you feel well taken care of by the Asociacion Nuestros Ahijados team while you were in Guatemala?*

Yes

Somewhat

No

Did you feel at any time that you were placed at risk, in danger or in an avoidably unsafe situation by us?*

No

Somewhat

Yes

Did you feel at any other time that you were placed at risk, in danger or in an avoidably unsafe sitution while in Gautemala?*

No

Somewhat

Yes

If you answered yes or somewhat to the previous two questions, please explain. What could have been done to avoid this situation?

If you answered YES to giving a tip to a member of the ServiceTeam Staff, who and for what?

Please use this section for any other thoughts you might have. Let us know what you think we can do to improve your ServiceTeam Experience.

Can you give an example of an experience during your ServiceTeam visit that inspired you?*

Where did it happen? (homebuild site location, The Dreamer Center, Scheel Center, homeless shelter, etc.) Who was with you and who did you have the experience with? How did it make you feel?

Are you interested in staying involved when back home? If so, what would you like to be involved with?

Planning another ServiceTeam

Sponsoring a Child

Hosting a Fundraiser

Telling others about my experience

Volunteering in our US offices (Minneapolis or Bismarck)

Volunteering at GCP events

Do you have any skills or expertise you would like to share with the Project once you are home? Many business owners, skilled healthcare providers and more like to share their knowledge and resources once they are home to continue to help the children and families of the Project.

There are many children waiting to have the education opportunity provided by the Project. Would you be willing to sponsor a child in need? There is no fixed amount, but most sponsors donate about $25 per month. Who would you be willing to sponsor?

Grace Chapel Church from Bagley, MN traveled thousands of miles to give back to the people of Guatemala by building homes for families needing shelter through THE GOD’S CHILD Project. The Grace Chapel ServiceTeam, a group of 14 people, worked only using hand tools to build a solid secure home. The home’s foundation is soundly constructed with three courses of cement blocks, rebar and a concrete floor. The walls are built with wood framing topped with a corrugated tin roof and painted a special GOD’S CHILD Blue. Imagine the delight and pride on the families faces as they step out of the dirt onto the floor of their new home. This group is one of many volunteers who have joined THE GOD’S CHILD Project’s ServiceTeam Experience™ Asociación Nuestros Ahijados in La Antigua, Guatemala to help change the face of poverty.

When asking the volunteers what their most memorable experience was, they said being fortunate enough “to bless the family with the house” to help with the “situation they were in.” It was wonderful “seeing how grateful the family was for a new safe home.”

Volunteers who sign up for the Service Team Experience with GCP provide aid to the people of Guatemala in many different ways through various programs. Participants can help with disaster relief, medical care, dental, occupational therapy, social work and education. The most common ServiceTeam volunteer project is the home building program that provides safe and dignified homes to needy families. Hundreds of families’ lives have been changed by the generosity of GCP’s volunteers. Groups are also get an opportunity to explore the culture of Guatemala by touring the country while they are volunteering.

The GOD’S CHILD Project (GCP) is a Bismarck, ND and Minneapolis-based non-profit whose mission is to, “break the chains of poverty through education and formation.” While the majority of the charity’s work has been based in Guatemala, the organization also serves in El Salvador, India, Malawi and in the United States. GCP also founded the Institute for Trafficked, Exploited and Missing Persons (ITEMP) that supports education and awareness of victims of human trafficking.

(February 9, 2015) On Saturday, February 7 around 4:43pm Fuego Volcan, one of Central America’s most active volcanoes, erupted and spewed ashes to an altitude reaching 18,000 feet above sea level covering much of Antigua, Guatemala City and surrounding villages according to Guatemala’s national disasters agency. The smoke and ash forced Guatemala’s airport to stop all air traffic for the weekend.

The Project’s extensive emergency relief efforts brought 4,000 face masks and medical supplies to villagers in the 4 state region affected, including Antigua. These supplies were also used by first responders including ANA staff, fire fighters, and military reserves. These face masks and medical supplies are extremely important because of the fine volcanic ash causes respiratory and eye infections/irritations. The Project’s partnership with Direct Relief of Santa Barbara, CA is essential in providing medical supplies.

Sunday, February 8, Project staff along with 75 military reserve soldiers helped clean the Dreamer Center, Casa Jackson, Scheel Center, and the entire Project facilities so that the children would be able to still attend school on Monday since most guardians are single working mothers. Not only is this fine, sulfuric ash dangerous to humans, it breaks down anything mechanical, and contaminates all surfaces. The Project staff and military reserves have been working around the clock to clean all contaminated areas.

The needs of Casa Jackson and our malnourished infants and children were of upmost priority. After consultation with national authorities it was deemed to not move them because the plume cloud would move within three hours of the eruption.

Fuego Volcan is one of Central America’s active volcanos and located approximately 7 miles from the Dreamer Center. This is Fuego’s largest eruption in 3 years.

Founded in 1991 by Patrick Atkinson, The GOD'S CHILD Project cares for and educates 5,000 orphaned, abandoned, and poverty-stricken boys and girls in addition to providing health and community-based services for 8,700 widowed, abandoned, and single mothers and their dependents in Guatemala, El Salvador, India, Malawi, and the United States.

There is no need for clothing donations at this time. Water resources have not been affected. However, need for financial contributions to support these efforts are needed. To contribute to these relief efforts visit www.GCPStore.com

Each year, generous supporters celebrate Give to the Max Day by making their online donation on GiveMN.org. The generosity on this day makes a difference far beyond the 24-hour giving event. Their giving has allowed us to do the work we get the privilege to do. We have raised $15,944, being our first year participating in GTMD, we are pretty proud of our success. We wanted to express our sincere gratitude for our supporters and their dedication to GOD’S CHILD.

Although Give to the Max Day is over, our generous donor will continue to match funds through the end of the year. Keep your eyes open for more ways to help GCP and the women & children we serve. More to come!